Wat Rong Khun is also known as the White Temple. Whereas most temples visited by tourists have a history going back many centuries, this magnificent place of worship was built only recently. It is the realization of a dream for Thailand's noted artist, Mr.Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed and is supervising the construction of this beautiful white temple and its many statues of figures based on religious beliefs. The construction started in 1998 and is expected to be completed in 2008. In addition, there is a gallery nearby exhibiting his paintings. To get there from the city of Chiang Rai, drive north along Asia Highway.

*******May Buddhas bless Chalermchai Kositpipat forever Yawares

Last edited by yawares on Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.

When this concentration is thus developed, thus well developed by you, then wherever you go, you will go in comfort. Wherever you stand, you will stand in comfort. Wherever you sit, you will sit in comfort. Wherever you lie down, you will lie down in comfort.

Great message! Very Thoughtful!Some even will get the message when vistiting it, others not.

Dhp 153 (old age). Through many a birth in samsara have I wandered in vain, seeking the builder of this house. Repeated birth is indeed suffering!

154. O house-builder, you are seen! You will not build this house again. For your rafters are broken and your ridgepole shattered. My mind has reached the Unconditioned; I have attained the destruction of craving.

Just that! *smile*...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_

++++++++++++++++This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

There is freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning. If there were not this freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning, then escape from that which is birth, becoming, making, conditioning, would not be known here. -- Ud 80

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine.People live in one another’s shelter.

Just that! *smile*...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_

++++++++++++++++This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

There is freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning. If there were not this freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning, then escape from that which is birth, becoming, making, conditioning, would not be known here. -- Ud 80

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine.People live in one another’s shelter.

Such livelihood is not really hazard-free as I wrote "Failure in a hunt results in the Predator involved committing an honorable suicide." So I guess its not that wise to expect a reward of any kind. A hunters live is somehow a walk on the edge of pride.

Just that! *smile*...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_

There are some pictures like that, are they form inside? Maybe a kind of story of the Buddha? Or are they simply not related here?

Just that! *smile*...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_

I was lucky enough to visit this temple recently and it is even more beautiful, in an over-the-top kind of way, than the photos can suggest. Here's one of the pics I took:

RongKhun32.JPG (120.23 KiB) Viewed 3286 times

The colourful pictures Hanzze posted are from a mural inside the vihara. There are lots of modern images - Neo, Superman, etc - amongst more traditional Thai and Buddhist images there.The fantasy elements even extend to silly things like this:

Bollard.JPG (116.02 KiB) Viewed 3286 times

At the same time, it is a genuine temple, not just a vanity exercise. Some day it may be a classic wat, pointed out as a building which is important to the renewal of Buddhist architecture in Thailand - who knows?

Kim O'Hara wrote:I was lucky enough to visit this temple recently and it is even more beautiful, in an over-the-top kind of way, than the photos can suggest. Here's one of the pics I took:

RongKhun32.JPG

The colourful pictures Hanzze posted are from a mural inside the vihara. There are lots of modern images - Neo, Superman, etc - amongst more traditional Thai and Buddhist images there.The fantasy elements even extend to silly things like this:

Bollard.JPG

At the same time, it is a genuine temple, not just a vanity exercise. Some day it may be a classic wat, pointed out as a building which is important to the renewal of Buddhist architecture in Thailand - who knows?

Kim

Dear Kim,Thank you so much for the pictures...did you see monks staying in the temple?..Or is it the beautiful temple for tourists attraction? Many tourists there? Did you see big white Buddha statues in the viharas..I wonder if they are white jade/white marble. yawares

Hi, Yawares,As you enter the vihara you face the big Buddha statues as usual but they are golden, not white. Behind them is a whole-wall mural painting of a golden Buddha. If you turn around and look at the wall either side of the door you enter by, you see the murals that Hanzze posted here. Most of those pictures are quite small - you could cover Superman with one hand, for instance - but the background is all golden. The use of colour is very deliberate and very effective in contrast with the white everywhere else.I did see a couple of monks there but I don't know for sure whether that was their wat or they were just visiting. We weren't there long enough for me to see everything and ask all the questions, but as far as I know the wat does have monks like any other wat.

Kim O'Hara wrote:Hi, Yawares,As you enter the vihara you face the big Buddha statues as usual but they are golden, not white. Behind them is a whole-wall mural painting of a golden Buddha. If you turn around and look at the wall either side of the door you enter by, you see the murals that Hanzze posted here. Most of those pictures are quite small - you could cover Superman with one hand, for instance - but the background is all golden. The use of colour is very deliberate and very effective in contrast with the white everywhere else.I did see a couple of monks there but I don't know for sure whether that was their wat or they were just visiting. We weren't there long enough for me to see everything and ask all the questions, but as far as I know the wat does have monks like any other wat.

Kim

Dear Kim,Thank you very much ...I wish to see Guan-Yin statues in this temple too..may be in the future. yawares